Machine-gun fire were heard around the Syrian town of Rastan near the central city of Homs on Tuesday as military operations continued for a third straight day, a human rights activist said. According to AFP, he said that residents of the town had attacked a police station and seized weapons near the place where a girl, identified as Hajar al-Khatib, and 10 other civilians were killed on Sunday.

In Homs, protesters late Monday night set fire to a vehicle belonging to the security services, expressing outrage at the crackdown in nearby Talbisa and Rastan, the activist added.

Since dawn on Sunday, tanks have surrounded the two towns and the village of Teir Maaleh to quell the protests around Homs.

During Monday night "security forces conducted search operations in Hiraki", near the city of Daraa, he added.